Chicago Community Gardeners Association

North Rogers Park Community Garden Walk
2023-07-29 09:30 - 13:00 (America/Chicago)
The Howard Area Community Garden will be hosting a tour of community and public gardens in the north Rogers Park neighborhood. The event is scheduled fro Saturday, July 29th, starting at 9:30am at Jarvis Square Pottery Garden. We will walk to Dubkin Garden, Hello Howard, Howard Area, the Community Orchard in Triangle Park, and to Anthony’s Garden at Gale School. We anticipate ending by 1pm. This is a 2-mile walk. Bicycles and cars can be accommodated. We hope many of you will join us.
Please see the attached poster and eventbrite link, below, for more details.
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/rogers-park-community-gardening-tour-tickets-670325029207
Molly Doane, Coordinator
Howard Area Community Garden
Juneway and Hermitage, Chicago
Mail: 7648 N. Paulina St., Chicago, IL 60626
Phone: Molly: (414) 899-2204
Phone: Scott: (773) 540-8328
email: howardgarden@gmail.com
Blog: howardareacommunitygarden.blogspot.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/HowardAreaCommunityGarden

Garden Club at McKiernan Park
2023-09-07 11:00 - 12:00 | McKiernan Park, 10714 S. Sawyer Ave, Chicago, IL, 60655, United States
Join with neighbors in the upkeep of your local park’s garden area. General gardening education will be part of this outdoor learning experience.
We will meet every Thursday from 11am-12pm from September 7th- October 12th at McKiernan Park. For more information, call the park at (312) 747-2883 or sign up here: Activity detail | CPD Transaction Portal (activecommunities.com)

Protected Culture Field Day
2023-09-08 16:30 - 18:30 | Growing home, 5814 S Wood, Chicago, IL, 60636, United States
Field Day Friday – Protected Culture
Friday September 8, 2023, 4:30 – 6:30 pm
Growing Home Urban Farm
5814 S Wood, Chicago
Please register at https://go.illinois.edu/protectedculture
Extension Educator Zack Grant and Growing Home Farm Manager Ezra Lee will discuss
High Tunnel Management
Vendors and Equipment
Structures like High tunnels, caterpillar tunnels
Planting Dates for Season Extension
DIY solutions
We’re thrilled to welcome Joseph Bridges, the USDA NRCS Conservationist for Cook County who will tell attendees about cost share programs available to urban farmers.

September CCGA Coordinating Meeting
2023-09-19 18:00 - 19:30
NOTE: Until further notice CCGA Coordinating meetings are being held via Zoom. If you want to attend the coordinating meeting and are not already a member of one of the CCGA working groups send an email to: communications@chicagocommunitygardens.org and request to join the meeting.
Please join us for our monthly coordinating meeting. Representatives from all the working groups come together to coordinate our actions. Meeting locations All community gardeners and supporters are invited to attend.
Check the CCGA website for location details and as agendas become available. In person meetings switch between The Hatchery & the Chicago Center for Green Technology:
Chicago Center for Green Technology (CCGT)
445 N. Sacramento Blvd.
The Hatchery
135 N. Kedzie
NOTE: All CCGA coordinating meeting minutes are available for you to review on the website. Look under the menu tree at ‘Who We Are’ and then ‘CCGA Organization’ and you will see links here for the coordinating committee documents by year.

September Perennial Distribution
2023-09-29 10:00 - 14:00 | New Horizons Community Garden, 401 S. Central Park, Chicago, IL, 60624, United States
September Perennial Distribution Flyer 2023

October CCGA Coordinating Meeting
2023-10-17 18:00 - 19:30

Thinking Like a Rat Workshop (Part 1): Rats 101
2023-11-14 18:30 - 19:30 | Center for Green Technology, 445 North Sacramento, Chicago, IL, 60612, United States
If you are concerned about rats in your community garden, consider joining this 2-Part workshop, “Thinking like a rat: develop a strategy to send rats packing from your garden”. Created by Lincoln Park Zoo’s Chicago Rat Project in partnership with Chicago Park District and NeighborSpace, and supported by CCGA, this two-part workshop will provide gardeners with the tools and knowledge to prevent, deter, and control rats in a community garden space.
Part 1 will provide information on the brown rat: Why they may be attracted to gardens, and measures you can take to deal with rats.
Part 2 will be a hands-on demonstration visiting a community garden, identifying rat signs, and learning how to apply the strategies shared in Part 1. See the flyer for more information and to register!
Thinking Like a Rat Workshop (Part 1): Rats 101
Tuesday, November 14 6:30pm -7:30 pm
Chicago Center For Green Technology and on Zoom
445 North Sacramento Boulevard Chicago, IL 60612
Register by November 12 at tinyurl.com/ChiRatWorkshop1
Thinking Like a Rat Workshop (Part 2): Garden Demo
Saturday, November 18 · 10 – 11:30am
Community Roots Garden at Skinner Park
1331 West Adams Street Corner of Throop St/Adams St Chicago, IL 60607
Register by November 16 at tinyurl.com/ChiRatWorkshop2

Thinking Like a Rat Workshop (Part 2): Garden Demo
2023-11-18 10:00 - 11:30 | Community Roots Demonstration Garden at Skinner Park, 1331 W Adams St, Chicago, IL, 60607, United States
If you are concerned about rats in your community garden, consider joining this 2-Part workshop, “Thinking like a rat: develop a strategy to send rats packing from your garden.” Created by Lincoln Park Zoo’s Chicago Rat Project in partnership with Chicago Park District and NeighborSpace, and supported by CCGA, this two-part workshop will provide gardeners with the tools and knowledge to prevent, deter, and control rats in a community garden space.
Part 1 will provide information on the brown rat: Why they may be attracted to gardens, and measures you can take to deal with rats.
Part 2 will be a hands-on demonstration visiting a community garden, identifying rat signs, and learning how to apply the strategies shared in Part 1. See the flyer for more information and to register!
Thinking Like a Rat Workshop (Part 1): Rats 101
Tuesday, November 14 6:30pm -7:30 pm
Chicago Center For Green Technology and on Zoom
445 North Sacramento Boulevard Chicago, IL 60612
Register by November 12 at tinyurl.com/ChiRatWorkshop1
Thinking Like a Rat Workshop (Part 2): Garden Demo
Saturday, November 18 · 10 – 11:30am
Community Roots Garden at Skinner Park
1331 West Adams Street Corner of Throop St/Adams St Chicago, IL 60607
Register by November 16 at tinyurl.com/ChiRatWorkshop2

November CCGA Coordinating Meeting
2023-11-21 18:00 - 19:30

December CCGA Coordinating Meeting
2023-12-19 18:00 - 19:30

Super Seed Saturday
2024-01-20 14:00 - 16:00 | Chicago Botanic Garden, 1000 Lake Cook Rd, Glencoe, IL, 60022, United States
Saturday, January 20, 2024
Regenstein Center

11th Annual Seed Swap
Burnstein Hall and Krehbiel Gallery, 2 – 4 p.m.

The purpose of this program is to encourage gardeners to come together to share/swap seeds and to learn more about starting seeds, saving seeds, and related topics. (Participants are not required to bring seeds to share/swap. They can also just come and take some seeds home.)
Gardeners are invited to bring saved seed and leftover seed packets to share and swap with other gardeners.
Chicago Botanic Garden staff and volunteers, as well as outside guests, will have displays and will be available to answer questions and talk with Seed Swap attendees.

Lecture
Alsdorf Auditorium, 1 p.m.

SPEAKER: Jennifer Jewell
Jewell is a gardener, garden writer, and gardening educator and advocate. Since 2016, she has written and hosted the national award-winning, weekly public radio program and podcast, Cultivating Place, a co-production of North State Public Radio in Chico, California.
PRESENTATION: What We Sow
From Jewell’s new book of the same title, she reveals the power of seeds in our world, “for food, for medicine, for utility, for the vast interconnected web we include in the concept of biodiversity and planetary health, for beauty, and for culture.”
BOOK SIGNING: Burnstein Hall, 2 p.m.
Following her keynote presentation Jennifer Jewell will be signing copies of new latest publication, What We Sow: On the Personal, Ecological, and Cultural Significance of Seeds.

PREREGISTER NOW

Tour — The Dixon National Tallgrass Prairie Seed Bank
Daniel F. and Ada L. Rice Plant Conservation Science Center, 10 – 11 a.m.

Did you know the Chicago Botanic Garden has a seed bank? Take a rare, behind-the-scenes tour of the Dixon National Tallgrass Prairie Seed Bank in the Daniel F. and Ada L. Rice Plant Conservation Science Center with Dave Sollenberger, seed bank manager, and learn more about this crucial work. See the state-of-the-art lab—including all the unique seed prep equipment—and learn the multiple steps to seed banking from the seeds’ arrival to long-term storage.
Limited to 12 participants.

Seed Swap
2024-01-28 11:00 - 13:00 | Kilbourn Park Organic Greenhouse, 3501 N. Kilbourn, Chicago, IL, 60641, United States
Seed Swap – Annual 2024
Sunday, January 28, 2024 at the greenhouse.
11:00 AM 1:00 PM

Get ready for another blooming season!
BYO Seeds for swapping

Community Soil Science with The Soil Keepers Part 1
2024-02-12 17:30 - 20:00 | Zoom
The Soil Keepers is offering zoom-based lectures, films, and in-person field sessions in summer and fall. In collaboration with filmmaker Drew Durepos on films that mix experimental aesthetics and pedagogical rigor. Classes meeet Feb 12 & 19th.

Seed Swap at The Plant
2024-02-17 11:00 - 15:00 | The Plant, 1400 W. 46th Street, Chicago, IL, 60609, United States
Our February Intercambio will be seeds! Get ready for the gardening season with a seed swap. Come pick up some seeds you’ve been wanting to try, drop off some you’ve been saving, or just come by and talk plants!

Community Soil Science with The Soil Keepers Part 2
2024-02-19 17:30 - 20:00

February CCGA Coordinating Meeting
2024-02-20 18:00 - 19:30
Please join us for our monthly coordinating meeting. Representatives from all the working groups come together to coordinate our actions. All community gardeners and supporters are invited to attend.
CCGA coordinating meetings are held on the 3rd Tuesday of the month, except for July & August. Click on the link next to the bullet to download the document(s) listed below.
NOTE: Most CCGA Coordinating meetings are being held via Zoom. In-person meeting locations may switch between The Hatchery Chicago & the Chicago Center for Green Technology.
If you want to attend the coordinating meeting and are not already a member of one of the CCGA working groups, please send an email to: communications@chicagocommunitygardens.org and request to join the monthly meetings.
NOTE: All CCGA coordinating meeting minutes are available for you to review on the website. Look under the menu tree at ‘Who We Are’ and then ‘CCGA Organization’ and you will see links here for the coordinating committee documents by year.

AGA Seed Swap
2024-02-25 12:00 - 15:00 | The Beer Temple, 3173 N. Elston Ave, Chicago, IL, 60618

Climate Change & Food Security Conference
2024-03-14 18:00 - 20:00 | Loyola University Chicago, 6349 N. Kenmore Ave., Chicago, IL, 60660
Loyola University’s School of Environmental Sustainability is hosting their annual Climate Change Conference on March 14-15, 2024. The conference theme is “Feeding a Changing World: Climate Change and Food Security.”

Conference admission is FREE! Link to registration: luc.edu/ies

Thursday, March 14th: -Keynote Speaker Amanda Little, author of “The Fate of Food,” 6-8pm, Damen Hall MPR (Online streaming available).

Friday, March 15th: -3 panels (9am, 11am, 2pm), Exhibition Hall, Poster Presentations -Panelists include: Rodger Cooley (CFPAC), Fred Carter (Black Oaks), Nyabweza “Bweza” Itaagi (Sistas in the Village), Mecca Bey (Sistas in the Village), Ruby Freeman (Greater Chicago Food Depository), Alex Poltorak (Urban Canopy), Dennis Todey (USDA Climate Hub), Will Glazik (Silver Tree Beer and Spirits), Nicole Tautges (Michael Fields Agriculture Institute), Elisabeth Kago Ilboudo Nébié (University of Arizona), Jonas Jägermeyr (Columbia Climate School) , Paris Collingsworth (Purdue University), and Asher Seibert (Climate Scientist).

Beginning Beekeeping Class
2024-03-16 09:00 - 14:00 | Garfield Park Conservatory, 300 N. Central Park Ave. , Chicago, IL, United States
Beginning Beekeeping Class
Saturday 3/16; 9am-2pm
Cost: $70 general public; $56 member/volunteers
Spend the day with our Head Beekeeper, Marcin Matelski, to learn the basics of beekeeping: equipment, bee biology and behavior, colony management, and hive products. This comprehensive lecture-based class is a prerequisite for joining the GPCA volunteer beekeeper program. Please note: the class does not involve a hands-on component with the hives.
Scholarships are available! Please contact Bendi at bqian@garfieldpark.org for more information.

March CCGA Coordinating Meeting
2024-03-19 18:00 - 19:30

Pollinators for Planting Workshop
2024-03-23 10:00 - 13:00 | Garfield Park Conservatory Community Room, 300 N. Central Park, Chicago, IL, United States
Pollinator Workshop Event Flyer 3-23-2024

MidFex Grafting Workshop
2024-03-24 13:00 - 16:00 | Chicago Botanic Garden, 1000 Lake Cook Rd, Glencoe, IL, 60022, United States
http://midfex.org/2024/01/17/2024-grafting-workshop-sunday-march-24/

Humboldt Park Branch Seed Swap
2024-03-30 10:00 - 12:00 | Humboldt Park Branch, 1605 N Troy St, Chicago, IL, 60647, United States
Want to grow some plants but not sure what? Have more seeds than you need? Come to our seed swap, where you can pick up free seeds or drop off your extras!
We have a variety of seeds – vegetables, herbs, and flowers. The Field Museum has also kindly donated native seeds, great for butterflies and other local wildlife.
We will also have guests from UIC Heritage Garden on hand to answer your questions as well!

Working with Native Seeds: A Seed Starting Workshop
2024-03-30 12:00 - 13:00 | Humboldt Park Branch, 1605 N Troy St, Chicago, IL, 60647, United States
Seeds are one of the cheapest and easiest ways to get native plants in your garden…and one of the most intimidating! Join North Branch Native’s expert horticulturists to demystify seed germination and learn techniques to grow native plants for your garden on a budget. We will talk about the function of various species that are good for bees and butterflies and that provide flowers from spring through fall.
Plus, each attendee with get free seeds, soil, growing tray and instructions will be provided to make it easy for you to get in on the native gardening fun. Let’s grow together!
Registration is required for this free workshop – click here to register!

Gardeners Exchange: Stewards of the Earth
2024-04-13 10:00 - 14:00 | morgan park presbyterian church, 2017 W 110th Place, Chicago, 60643, United States
This is a free event to help you get your garden started, learn about the environment and sustainability, and an opportunity to become a steward of the earth.
Join us for a great day featuring:
Seed swap BYOB (bring your own bag)
Garden tool/supply exchange
Gardener Workshops
Family activities
Naturalist activities
and more!

April CCGA Coordinating Meeting
2024-04-16 18:00 - 19:30

Resources Spring Distribution
2024-04-20 08:30 - 11:00 | African Heritage Garden, 1245 S. Central Park, Chicago, IL, United States
For Chicago community gardens only. RSVP by Thursday, April 18, 4pm to mamiegray2012@gmail. $10 Donation.
Spring Distribution Flyer 2024

Native Sapling Distribution
2024-04-20 13:00 - 16:00 | U of I Extension Chicago office, 8753 S Greenwood #100, Chicago, IL, 60619, United States
To celebrate Earth Day, Cook County Extension is sponsoring a sapling distribution.
This distribution is only for residents of Cook County, Illinois.
The trees and shrubs are young bareroot saplings and should be planted as soon as possible after pick up.
We are offering 4 kinds of saplings: American Plum, Chickasaw Plum, Pecan, and Persimmon. (Hazelnut and Nannyberry all Claimed)
To learn more about each type visit Sapling Descriptions and Planting Instructions
NOTE: The saplings must be picked up in person!
Saturday April 20 from 1 to 4 pm
8753 South Greenwood Ave, Suite 100, Chicago IL 60619.
Reserve your saplings at https://extension.illinois.edu/events/2024-04-20-native-sapling-distribution

Chicago Bird Alliance Online Native Plant Sale Last Day
2024-04-26 00:00 - 23:30
Help the birds and the environment, and enjoy a beautiful blooming native garden!

Chicago Bird Alliance Online Native Plant Sale is held every spring, offering a wide variety of perennials. Order form is here – order before April 26.

Pick up will be at North Park Village Nature Center on the afternoon of May 26, 2024.

Proceeds of the sale help to fund CAS’s successful bird conservation programs such as the push for a bird- friendly buildings ordinance.

Celebrate the Earth Festival
2024-04-27 10:00 - 13:00 | Cultivate Collective, 4942 W. 44th Street, Chicago, 60638, United States
Cultivate Collective & Academy for Global Citizenship are throwing an Earth Day Celebration on Saturday, April 27th from 10am-1pm to honor and raise awareness about actions we can take to protect and respect our Earth! Event features will include workshops, a seed swap, a resource fair, cooking demos and dynamic, family friendly activities.
